SMG: Scheveningen Formation [2]

One of the most common setups in the Smith-Morra Gambit, is the Scheveningen Formation.

Black’s plan: Get pawns on d6 and e6, get the kingside pieces out and castle as soon as possible, hold on to the extra pawn and get into a favorable endgame.

White’s plan: Get an advantage in development, pin and pressure the d-pawn and recover that pawn while keeping the development lead, or force Black in awkward positions if he can’t let go of that pawn. In that case: Spot the weakness – bring those tactics – nuke the Black king.

Here’s how my latest game went.

Conclusion: Moves 1-10 is just following book. Shouldn’t be too easy for either player to get through these unscathed. But even small deviations by Black that look reasonable, will give White the better game. Moves 10-15 is often about the control over some central squares. Who rules d4/d5/e5? But if you get those right as well, the next part is often about tactics. And as usual, the Smith-Morra Gambit delivers plenty.